Niven & Pournelle - The Best Sci-Fi Writers Ever?

I've got to say that when it comes to these two, I'm incredibly biased.

I first Read The Mote in Gods Eye when I was about 12/13 and it made me want to read more and more sci-fi - but since then (apart from their other
books) I haven't really found anything which measures up.

I've tried quite a few authors, and maybe I'm setting my standards too high, but none of them give me the same buzz.

20 years after first reading it, and some of the authors other works, it affected me exactly the same way.

I love the way these guys write!
4 of my all time favourite books are;
The Mote In Gods Eye
The Mote Around Murchesons Eye (The Gripping Hand is the US version)
Footfall
Lucifers Hammer

There are other books of other genres that I really like, but the first one I mentioned has given me a life long love affair with Sci-Fi

No, I feel the same, The Mote In God's Eye books are incredibly dense with meaning. Niven's Ringworld books, same, and he is a masterful short story
writer as well. The way he combines extrapolation of hard science with social commentary/speculation is unbeatable imo.

I like Ursula K. Leguin and Frank Herbert a lot too, but they both lean more into fantasy than science fiction, although what they write about social
issues and the paranormal is fascinatining.

I think I read two Ringworld books, some years ago, he might have more.

I was going to say that he gets a little out there with some of the [sub]species in it, but then the species in Mote were quite different as well.

I don't think I've read any Ben Bova, although maybe some short stories, I remember seeing his name on book covers, but he edits alot of
compilations too.

I read an interesting one by Philip Jose Farmer, The Unreasoning Mask, which I thought was very good. His series Riverworld, I enjoyed the first
couple books, but I lost enthusiasm as the series progressed, I think the idea ran out of steam.

Arthur C. Clarke has never disappointed me.

Hyperion by Dan Simmons I really liked, its got a heavy mystical flavor, if you're into that.

While i enjoy Niven and Pournelle i wouldnt say there the best, but its all down to personal opinion anyway.
Greg Bear, Iian M Banks, Gordon Dickson, Phillip Dick, David Brin, Peter Hamilton, are all excellent writers.
Go even further back to Isaac Asimov, Arthur Clarke, Robert Heinlein, Vonnegut, Modesitt etc.
Hard to nominate a best SF author when there are so many great ones imo.
I can enjoy the space opera stuff just as much as the hard technical SF, just depends on my mood.
It is by far my favorite genre.

I don't have one favourite SF author, but I am really fond of William Gibson.

His books inspired The Matrix, Johnny Mnemonic (he wrote the screenplay based on his short story) and wrote that X-Files episode where Mulder and
Scully stop the crazy virtual video game vixen from killing people.

In fact, I've inspired myself to reread my copy of Neuromancer. It's been a few years now.

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